May 1-June 5: Evoking Spirit is the theme of the annual artists show and sale at the Maplebrook School. Now in its 26th year, the show brings together more than 150 works by 40-plus regional artists (including Kingston’s Jane Bloodgood-Abrams and Millbrook’s Jack Neubauer). The show’s opening reception coincides with the running of the Kentucky Derby; visitors on that day can enjoy traditional Derby foods, real mint juleps, a live broadcast of the race — as well as some fine examples of equestrian art (May 1, 4:30-8 p.m.). Call for hours. • Rte. 22, Amenia. 845-373-8557
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Opera and jazz headline the bill at the Bardavon this month. May 1: Catch superstar soprano Renee Fleming in the title role of Giacomo Rossini’s Armida. The Metropolitan Opera performance can be seen live in HD (1 p.m. $22, $15 children). On May 16, Pat Metheny and his band take the stage. Over the past 30-plus years, this jazz guitarist and composer has garnered 33 Grammy nominations in 12 different categories — more than any other performer. His latest concert tour features music from a forthcoming CD, as well as classic works from his repertoire (7 p.m. $52). • 35 Market St., Poughkeepsie. 845-473-2072 or www.bardavon.org
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Thru July 3: Two Prohibition-era musicians find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time: They witness Chicago’s infamous St. Valentine’s Day gang massacre. Worse still, the gangsters saw them too — now the boys need to get out of town, and fast. So what do they do? Why, pretend they’re women and join an all-female band heading to Miami Beach, of course. Based on the classic 1959 film Some Like It Hot, Sugar is a musical version of this wild and wacky comedy that features dumb blondes, clueless millionaires, hard-as-nails mobsters — as well as cross-dressing heroes. The show runs through July 3 at the Westchester Broadway Theatre. • 1 Broadway Plaza, Elmsford. 914-592-2222 or www.broadwaytheatre.com
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May 14: It’s not too late to celebrate Cinco de Mayo with the Ballet Folklorico Mexico. This traditional music and dance troupe highlights the ceremonies and customs of their motherland through energetic dances, live mariachi music, and flamboyant costumes (which make use of everything from beads and suede to six-foot long pheasant tails). 7 p.m. $25, $15 seniors, students, and children under 12. Paramount Center for the Arts. • 1008 Brown St., Peekskill. 914-739-2333 or www.paramountcenter.org
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May 22: Presidential pets get their fair share of the limelight. (Remember the media fuss when the Obamas adopted Bo?) But Fala, Franklin Roosevelt’s photogenic Scottish terrier, was perhaps the most famous White House pooch of all. FDR’s constant companion, Fala was a gift from Margaret “Daisy” Suckley, whose Rhinebeck home, Wilderstein, features an elaborate Victorian mansion and grounds designed by Calvert Vaux. This month, Wilderstein hosts its biannual Fala Gala, a day for adults, kids — and dogs of all breeds — to enjoy some old-fashioned fun. Activities include a pooch parade, shortbread bake-off, Scotch tasting, a snack bar (with hot dogs, of course), and a Fala look-alike contest. 12-3 p.m. $25 per dog, but no charge for their human handlers. • 330 Morton Rd., Rhinebeck. 845-876-4818 or www.wilderstein.org
